The BMW UUC Digest Volume 3 : Issue 241 : "text" Format Messages in this Issue: Re: E36 Brake Question Re: Decisions, decisions Re: Decisions, decisions Re: Decisions, decisions Re: Decisions, decisions Re: E36 Fan Speed Low Re: [bmwe39] Decisions, decisions Re: [bmwe39] Decisions, decisions <E34> 525iA Engine Options? Re: <E34> 525iA Engine Options? Re: Decisions, decisions Re: Decisions, decisions Re: Decisions, decisions Re: Decisions, decisions
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 12:07:05 -0500 From: "Bill Proud" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: E36 Brake Question Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on 8/24/06 10:27 AM, "DUNLAP, LARRY" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Silly question... How important is that set screw on the front rotor Answer :- It is there solely to locate the brake disc to the hub so that when the wheel is off those two parts (hub and disc ) dont rotate and make it difficult to put the lug bolts in the holes . Corrosion of the stud/screw indicates that you probably had similar corrosion between the face of the disc and the face of the hub . If you took the disc off you probably disturbed the corrosion and now may have some of it wedged between disc and hub -giving you the brake vibration .Disassemble and CLEAN those faces on both parts . While the 'system' will work fine without the screw it is MUCH easier with it there . Just imagine a cold wet snowy night and mounting your spare at side of freeway ...last thing you want is the hub turning and blocking the holes for the lugbolts . Of course if you are really serious you'll do what BMW SHOULD have done in the first place and put lug-studs into the hubs and use lugnuts to hold the wheel on...then the location of the disc becomes a given once the wheel is on the studs . This is another example of piss-poor relations with customers by BMW design/manufacturing ...they can save 10c worth of effort to them by NOT putting threaded studs into the hubs and then putting lugnuts onto the studs ...they simply screw the lugbolts on -so it's ONE operation instead of two for them , and screw the car owner on the above cold wet night ...they dont care !!. The same corrosion effects -only much more-so due to aluminium wheels on steel hubs -exists between wheel and hub , so be SURE you cleaned them off too ..or you'll have another wobble . It's a good idea to put anti-seize (or thin layer of wheel bearing grease ...I said THIN !!) on these mating parts ....think again of that cold wet night ..flat tire ..wheel wont come off 'cuz its stuck with corrosion ...you do NOT want to be kicking the tire while the car is up on that stupid $2 jack from the trunk if you value your life . Be sure to clean the centre-hole in the wheel too -they corrode something fierce ! Bill Proud , 40 yrs mfg/QA engineering for the customer !! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 10:53:41 -0700 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Decisions, decisions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Well I'm confused......... Dennis you run the gamut from a 996 daily driver to a wagon. Given that's the case, I'll muddy the waters some more. How about something in between like an Acura RL , Audi A3, or a used E46 with the ZHP option? -Kevin ---------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail communication is confidential and is intended only for the individual(s) or entity named above and others who have been specifically authorized to receive it. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, copy, use or disclose the contents of this communication to others. Please notify the sender that you have received this e-mail in error by replying to the e-mail. Please then delete the e-mail and any copies of it. Thank you. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 22:15:33 -0400 From: "Dennis Liu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Decisions, decisions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Kevin wrote: >Well I'm confused......... Dennis you run the gamut from a 996 daily driver to a wagon. Given that's the case, I'll muddy the waters some more. How about something in between like an Acura RL , Audi A3, or a used E46 with the ZHP option? _____________ Sorry for the unclarity! :-) Ideally, it'd be a big sedan like an E38, or, alternatively, a big wagon (dream car - an E38 sportsWAGON, with a six speed manual transmission... So, Brett, how tough would it be to custom build a wagon rear end on Rob's beast?!?). The 996 is an option only because we already own it. It'll "do" as a daily commuter. It's definitely fun to drive, though fairly useless for the other stated purposes. (hence the lack of interest in the A3 or E46, though I admit I do like the lines of the RL. I just wish Honda would expand out a bit and build a RWD vehicle!!!) We have enough other options so that I don't NEED a big sedan, but that would definitely help. Still, the 996 is pure S&G on the commute! :-) Vty, --Dennis ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:18:03 -0700 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Decisions, decisions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Speaking of itches.... who is the Bay Area UUC'er with the Evo? -Kevin ---------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail communication is confidential and is intended only for the individual(s) or entity named above and others who have been specifically authorized to receive it. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, copy, use or disclose the contents of this communication to others. Please notify the sender that you have received this e-mail in error by replying to the e-mail. Please then delete the e-mail and any copies of it. Thank you. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 04:52:47 EDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [email protected] Subject: Re: Decisions, decisions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> In a message dated 25.08.2006 04:16:30 Westeuropäische Sommerzeit, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Sorry for the unclarity! :-) Ideally, it'd be a big sedan like an E38, or, alternatively, a big wagon (dream car - an E38 sportsWAGON, with a six speed manual transmission... So, Brett, how tough would it be to custom build a wagon rear end on Rob's beast?!?). .................. Hi All, I remember years ago(in 1997) touring AMGs factory near Stuttgart. While we were walking thru thier factory I saw this car half made to the side of one hall. At first I thought it was just and E-class wagon... but then I noticed the front end clip was of a S-class coupe - with the curvey headlights that go up into the hood area. Then I began to notice how damm big the car was. They were buidling a one off S-class wagon. I asked our tour guide about it.... he said it was a hush hush project for some Saudi Sheik. And S-class WAGON!!!!! It looked cool I must admit. I remember the fuel tank was huge!!! Must have been atleast 120 liter tank. Just goes to show you if you have the money and are willing to wait you can get ANYTHING made. take care David ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:13:54 -0700 (PDT) From: "Jim Bassett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: E36 Fan Speed Low Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> On Wed, August 23, 2006 7:23 pm, Dave Swingle said: > 99M3 - I've noticed that occasionally the blower (HVAC) fan won't go full > speed. Everything else is normal. After a while it speeds up. This sounds "normal" if "Auto" is displayed on the HVAC display. The unit will adjust the fan speed *automatically* <g> based on cabin temp and the temp setting on the unit. Otherwise, I'm not really sure I understand - are you *manually* adjusting the fan speed and it doesn't go full speed? If that's the case, then it's a good chance it's a bad final stage unit. BTDT. Hope that helps, Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4 1993 325is #44 JP ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 12:11:14 -0700 From: John Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [bmwe39] Decisions, decisions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Hmmm... The reason I mentioned the expense was due to a recent posting from > a fellow E39 list member's summation of his M5 repair expenses (covered by > CPO), around $12k, IIRC. An anomoly? I'd assess it as a friendly dealer throwing a lot of new parts on the car while it was still under the warranty. There's no question some parts can be pricey, the complete VANOS hydraulic assemblies are a couple grand per side, likewise the cats, and changing all of the above accounted for most of his $12000. The cats are warrantied to at least 8yr/80K miles under the EPA-required emissions warranty, the question is what you'd use for an aftermarket cat once it's out of warranty. My personal belief is that a lot of what dealers had diagnosed as VANOS failures on those engines are really intermittent cam-position sensor problems. There are definitely some gotchas on the car, the big one hanging over a lot of folks' heads is the carbon buildup in the air-injection passages on the heads. It doesn't affect how the engine runs but it turns on the MIL and the car won't pass smog in that condition. > Yeah, that's about right! The perfected Buick! Boy, if I'm considering it, > does that mean I'm getting REALLY old? :-) Yeah, it does. Your AARP card is in the mail, along with all the 'active adult community' literature... > Well, they sell the G35/350Z and the QX56/Armada, so why not a Nissan > version of the M or the Q? :-) And the only differences between a Land Cruiser in US-market form and a Lexus LX470 last time I looked are the wood trim and the adjustable shocks. My guess is that Nissan figured the 350Z was distinctive enough (too much so for me, I like the G35 coupe a lot better) and the big SUVs were likely to sell well enough to justify putting them in both channels. They're probably a bit more cautious about their car sales and not letting the lower-end brand cannibalize Infiniti which had really only just gotten back on its feet. John. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 15:19:53 -0500 From: "Jamie Howton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "John Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [email protected] Subject: Re: [bmwe39] Decisions, decisions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > a fellow E39 list member's summation of his M5 repair expenses (covered by > > CPO), around $12k, IIRC. An anomoly? > > I'd assess it as a friendly dealer throwing a lot of new parts on the > car while it was still under the warranty. Well, actually no. It was a multitude of various SES light repairs that took place over the last year of the CPO (8 separate visits to the shop). Most of the $12K was two catalytic converters replaced at 78K miles (~$5K) and a Vanos unit to the tune of $2500. The rest were things like MAFS, CPS x2, Rear main crank seal etc. The extenuating circumstance was that I did put ~35K miles on the car during that period. Since I bought the Roadster, the M5 hasn't been in the shop once (knocking on wood). -- Jamie Howton 2006 M Roadster 2000 M5 1995 M3 Hampshire, IL ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 07:05:03 -0700 From: "Scott & Charlotte Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "UUC Digest" <[email protected]>, "E34 Yahoo Group" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: <E34> 525iA Engine Options? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject Vehicle: "Money Pit", a.k.a. the wife's '93 525iA with M50TU - car has about 118K miles After sinking a small fortune into replacing the transmission (with a used one but under 90 day warranty) with one that is theoretically in better condition (leaked after installation, bad accumulator seals were found, resulting in extra expense - about 2 hours' labor - to replace the $30 accumulator), the engine oil leak was diagnosed as a blown head gasket. Nearly as I could tell, there was no mixing of fluids, just the oil leak. Mechanic removed the head and advised that it appears to need a valve job. He will be conferring with the machinist today to determine, between them, how much they can collectively soak me for. I'd like to explore 1) "while you are in theres" and B) potential upgrades. Am also considering just buying another head, preferably a known good one. Am also considering just having him put the engine back together and selling the car to some unsuspecting mook. The car still needs shocks, struts and suspension bushings replaced, interior door panels are delaminating (they all do that, eh?) and the paint re-spray is of questionable quality, so it isn't like this is some gem worth saving. Oh, and did I mention that the VANOS unit is noisy? Then again, we're already into it for a pretty big chunk of change for the transmission. And my wife loves the way it drives. And gas mileage is better than the departed Durango, which in retrospect has been false economy. (For the cost of the transmission + installation alone I could have filled up the Durango a gazillion times.) Sorry, so like I was saying, if you have any suggestions or advice for the engine, please let me know. Unfortunately, AFAIK the mechanic did not do a compression or leakdown test before removing the head. TIA, Scott Miller GGC BMW CCA ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 09:48:10 -0700 From: Mark Gold <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Scott & Charlotte Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: UUC Digest <[email protected]> Subject: Re: <E34> 525iA Engine Options? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Scott, I feel your pain. My friend Brian who has a stunning 525i E34 pulled his M50 in favor for an S50 and 5-speed, although it was suggested by Edge to keep it simple and use an M3 auto tranny instead. The last time I spoke with him the swap was complete and he's now contemplating some sort of forced induction. Good luck! Mark On Aug 25, 2006, at 7:05 AM, Scott & Charlotte Miller wrote: > Subject Vehicle: "Money Pit", a.k.a. the wife's '93 525iA with > M50TU - car has about 118K miles > > After sinking a small fortune into replacing the transmission (with a > used one but under 90 day warranty) with one that is theoretically in > better condition (leaked after installation, bad accumulator seals > were found, resulting in extra expense - about 2 hours' labor - to > replace the $30 accumulator), the engine oil leak was diagnosed as a > blown head gasket. Nearly as I could tell, there was no mixing of > fluids, just the oil leak. > > Mechanic removed the head and advised that it appears to need a valve > job. He will be conferring with the machinist today to determine, > between them, how much they can collectively soak me for. I'd like to > explore 1) "while you are in theres" and B) potential upgrades. Am > also considering just buying another head, preferably a known good > one. Am also considering just having him put the engine back together > and selling the car to some unsuspecting mook. The car still needs > shocks, struts and suspension bushings replaced, interior door panels > are delaminating (they all do that, eh?) and the paint re-spray is of > questionable quality, so it isn't like this is some gem worth saving. > Oh, and did I mention that the VANOS unit is noisy? Then again, we're > already into it for a pretty big chunk of change for the transmission. > And my wife loves the way it drives. And gas mileage is better than > the departed Durango, which in retrospect has been false economy. > (For the cost of the transmission + installation alone I could have > filled up the Durango a gazillion times.) > > Sorry, so like I was saying, if you have any suggestions or advice for > the engine, please let me know. Unfortunately, AFAIK the mechanic did > not do a compression or leakdown test before removing the head. > > TIA, > > Scott Miller > GGC BMW CCA > > > > > Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/ > [email protected] > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > ____ > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the > BMW CCA. > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 10:04:47 -0400 From: "Della Barba, Joe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Decisions, decisions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> There are no problems at all in getting parts for the MK II MR2. You can get an ENTIRE ENGINE shipped from Japan for less than some routine services on an M class. Joe Della Barba -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Matt Murray Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 11:42 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [UUC] Decisions, decisions The second gen MR-2 sold 360 cars in 1995. It makes it real tough to support with parts, service info, etc. The Spyder suffered similar demand issues. Not enough car geeks to buy 'em. Toyota used to have $24 billion in liquid assets. I bet that number has grown in the past few years. Matt Murray ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Liu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Matt wrote: > >>The MR-2 and MR Spyder are less pillowy. Actually quite fun cars. I >>owned > second gen turbos. For early nineties technology they offered some > interesting innovations. > > ============ > > Yeah, which is why Toyota no longer sells them (or the Celica, for > that matter)! :-) > > Given how much cubic yen Toyota pumps into its F1 team, it's fairly > amazing that they don't sell any sports or even sporty cars. I know > they're planning on releasing a Lexus-branded quasi-super car, but I'm > thinking it's more of an M6 or XKR competitor, rather than a 911/turbo > competitor. > Toyota > should, IMHO, not only offer a real exotic - its NSX equivalent, with > a big > V-8 and lots of revs putting out, oh, 450 hp or so - but also a true > M3-type sports coupe/sedan, and maybe even a Lotus Elise like car > (heck, buy Lotus lock stock and barrel! They're already using a > Toyota motor!). > > Vty, > > --Dennis Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ________________________________________________________________________ __ In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 10:20:12 -0400 From: Matt Murray <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Decisions, decisions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Joe, I think you may have misunderstood what I posted. As a former Toyota Parts Manager, Toyota's parts acquisition was always pretty good. I even ordered Japan only stuff for my customers (ya just gotta know the part numbers). Even ordered a Thule like cargo carrier for my MR-2 (sold the carrier to a guy in San Fran). I still have these pretty neat enameled key blanks for the MR-2. What I was trying to relate is the cost of supporting a model with only 360 sales in one year. I think a Federal Mandate (FVMM?) of supporting parts and service info was/is seven years. Way you compare supporting half a million Camrys to 360 or so MR-2s (okay total US numbers I think were around 20k or 30k), the total cost of vehicle profit, etc. does add up, even though the MR-2 and Supra were "halo" vehicles. Toyota's bread and butter is trucks and cars. Matt Murray ----- Original Message ----- From: "Della Barba, Joe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > There are no problems at all in getting parts for the MK II MR2. You can > get an ENTIRE ENGINE shipped from Japan for less than some routine > services on an M class. > > > Joe Della Barba ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 10:39:55 -0400 From: "Della Barba, Joe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Decisions, decisions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sure I understand why Toyota quit importing them. They did carry on in other markets until a few years ago. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one over a parts issue. Not that many of the parts are unique to an MR2. My MK II had the same 5SFE engine as 10,000,000 Camrys. The MK III used the same engine as the last Celica. The best part is I hardy ever had to buy any parts. In 263,000 miles: Tires Brakes 1 battery Wheel bearings 1 distributor Spark plugs + wires (twice) Belts Emergency brake cables Watching a clueless mechanic open the front, see no engine, then pop the trunk, and still see no engine = priceless! Joe Della Barba -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Matt Murray Sent: Friday, August 25, 2006 10:20 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [UUC] Decisions, decisions Joe, I think you may have misunderstood what I posted. As a former Toyota Parts Manager, Toyota's parts acquisition was always pretty good. I even ordered Japan only stuff for my customers (ya just gotta know the part numbers). Even ordered a Thule like cargo carrier for my MR-2 (sold the carrier to a guy in San Fran). I still have these pretty neat enameled key blanks for the MR-2. What I was trying to relate is the cost of supporting a model with only 360 sales in one year. I think a Federal Mandate (FVMM?) of supporting parts and service info was/is seven years. Way you compare supporting half a million Camrys to 360 or so MR-2s (okay total US numbers I think were around 20k or 30k), the total cost of vehicle profit, etc. does add up, even though the MR-2 and Supra were "halo" vehicles. Toyota's bread and butter is trucks and cars. Matt Murray ----- Original Message ----- From: "Della Barba, Joe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > There are no problems at all in getting parts for the MK II MR2. You > can get an ENTIRE ENGINE shipped from Japan for less than some routine > services on an M class. > > > Joe Della Barba Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ________________________________________________________________________ __ In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 10:05:19 -0400 From: "Della Barba, Joe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Decisions, decisions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I had an MR2 for many years and still have an Avalon. The MR2 was fantastic! It went over 250,000 miles with absolutely minimal attention. The Avalon was so much of a land-yacht I coughed up over $1,000 to upgrade the suspension. It is much better, but still no where near a BMW. BTW, the last generation Supra is still considered one of the fastest Toyotas ever. They are still in high demand. Some of them are pushing over 1,000 horsepower! Joe Della Barba 00 323iT, 97 Avalon ------------------------------ End of [bmwuucdigest] digest(14 messages) **********
